3 in Teochew sounds like “birth” in mandarin

 

 

Bedok South Rd.
A hibiscus flower mural on the sheer-face. 

 

10 story half-skyscrapers.  Neither glass condominium or bungalow.  A hive of houses.  Most

would argue, better living than kampung life. 

 

Stacked rectangular prisms oriented around what all Singaporeans call the Hawker Stall.  Salt-

smell, sweet-fish, egg-soap, steam and fry.  Funk residue -outdoors and everything.

 

Saponaceous
gallivant through the verdure.

 

Hazel-eyes and MiddleFish bring their newborn to the 8th floor.  Domicile-C, black gate and red door perched on the stairwell periphery.  Spirit-way to the five forests. 

 

Plastid floor, black-barred windows.  Uncles and Aunties.  Mahjong table and tobacco smoke. 

We greet Auntie 7 and we greet Auntie Lien (Auntie 4): Bronzed skin, chronological order

brought line-work to bubble all the flesh on her face.  Big beauty mark on her cheek

 

Her smile blazes entropic teeth in lucky yellow.  Black hair coils short on her mountain-top.

 

The old uncles encircle a coffee table topped with beers and cigarettes and pass around the new

broodling of the clan. 

 

Oh, Hazel-eyes and the Captain’s daughter.  What will the gods decide on this goblinoid

inauguration?  What remarks of impish love?

 

Amah took him to the temple and named the newborn: StraightandEducated
In the den of rousers, the Uncles gave him a name of their own Angmoh Kui (son of red hair)

 

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